LLC formation services for handmade sellers compared
Which formation service should a handmade seller use to form an LLC?
Check you need the LLC before you pick a service
A formation service prepares and files your LLC paperwork. It cannot tell you whether a small handmade shop needs an LLC yet, and for many shops the honest answer is not yet.
Every service on this page is selling the filing, so none of them has a reason to say wait. Before comparing prices, read whether you need an LLC yet. In California especially, forming commits you to an annual tax from the first year, whichever service does the filing.
If a trigger has arrived, such as a riskier product line, a partner, an employee or a wholesale contract, the rest of this page compares what the services publish about themselves next to doing it yourself.
California's annual LLC tax applies to any LLC that has filed articles of organization, whether or not it is doing business. — California Revenue and Taxation Code section 17941, retrieved 2026-09-27
The state's fees are the same whoever files
California charges $70 to file Articles of Organization, $20 for each statement of information, and $800 in annual tax. No service changes those figures; it adds its own price on top.
A $0 package therefore means $0 for the service's labor, not a free LLC. In California the unavoidable first-year state cost is $890 before any service fee. The real comparison between services is what their own price includes and what they bill again in year two.
$70 and $20The California Secretary of State charges $70 to file Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1) and $20 for an LLC statement of information. — California Secretary of State fee schedule, retrieved 2026-09-27
$800The minimum franchise tax that sets California's annual LLC tax is $800. — California Revenue and Taxation Code section 23153, retrieved 2026-09-27
Published prices and renewals, side by side
Most services start at $0 plus state fees, so the starting price says little. What separates them is registered agent pricing and what renews each year.
The table uses only what each service publishes on its own pricing pages, checked on the date shown. Where a page did not state a figure, the table says so rather than filling the gap. Prices change often, so check the service's own page before you buy.
| Service | Starting price | Registered agent | What bills again |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tailor Brands | $0 + state fees (Lite) | Not priced on the plan page | Essential $199/yr, Elite $249/yr |
| doola | $237/yr + state fees (Starter) | Included in Starter | The Starter plan each year |
| Swyft Filings | $0 + state fees (Basic) | Offered as a separate service | Not stated for base plans |
| ZenBusiness | $0 + state fees | $199/yr | Agent $199/yr; compliance filings $199/yr |
| LegalZoom | $0 + state fees (Basic) | $249/yr | Agent $249/yr, auto-renews |
| File it yourself | $70 state fee | You, if a California resident | Only the state's own charges |
$199/yrZenBusiness publishes registered agent service at $199 per year and Worry-Free Compliance filings at $199 per year, with plans starting at $0 plus state fees. — ZenBusiness pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$249/yrLegalZoom publishes registered agent service at $249 per year, auto-renewing until cancelled. — LegalZoom registered agent page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$237/yrdoola publishes a Starter plan at $237 per year billed annually, including formation, EIN, operating agreement, registered agent service and a virtual business address, with state fees extra. — doola pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
The services, by the kind of handmade seller each fits
These are use-case slots, not a ranking. Each service is matched to the seller its own published offer fits, and the order is presentation order only. Every figure comes from the service's own page on the date shown.
Nothing here is a rating or a test result. Read each note as what the service says it provides, and confirm current prices on its site before deciding.
- Tailor Brands
The slot for a first-time founder turning a craft into a company: a $0 Lite plan for the formation filing, processed within 14 business days, with paid Essential ($199 per year) and Elite ($249 per year) tiers processed within one business day. Every tier lists annual compliance and mandatory filings. Its assistant, Navi, tracks filing and tax deadlines and suggests next steps. The plan page does not price registered agent service separately.
- doola
The slot for makers who live outside the US and sell into it: doola says it serves founders in 175+ countries. Its Starter plan, $237 per year billed annually, includes formation, an EIN, an operating agreement, registered agent service and a virtual business address, with state fees extra. The trade-off is that the plan renews every year, so it is a subscription rather than a one-time filing.
- Swyft Filings
The slot for choosing by processing speed: a $0 Basic filing processed in 7 to 10 business days, a $169 Standard package in 3 business days that adds an EIN and operating agreement, and a $269 Premium package in one business day with a business address and compliance monitoring. Registered agent service is offered separately rather than bundled into the base plan.
- ZenBusiness
The slot for sellers who want annual-report reminders handled: plans start at $0 plus state fees, and its Worry-Free Compliance service at $199 per year handles state annual reports and amendments. Registered agent service is a separate $199 per year. It also offers an AI assistant, Velo. Worth knowing: both yearly services add up quickly next to a small shop's profit.
- LegalZoom
The slot for sellers who want a lawyer on call: its $249 Pro plan adds an operating agreement, an EIN and 30 days of unlimited attorney consultations, then $49 per month. The Basic plan is $0 plus state fees. Registered agent service is a separate $249 per year that auto-renews, which is the line to watch in year two.
$0 + state feesTailor Brands publishes a $0 Lite plan plus state fees, with Essential at $199 per year and Elite at $249 per year. — Tailor Brands plans and pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
Tailor Brands describes Navi as an AI-powered assistant that tracks progress, sends personalized reminders and recommends next steps, including monitoring filing and tax deadlines. — Tailor Brands home page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$0 / $169 / $269Swyft Filings publishes a $0 Basic LLC filing processed in 7 to 10 business days, a $169 Standard package in 3 business days, and a $269 Premium package in 1 business day. — Swyft Filings pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
$0 / $249LegalZoom publishes a Basic LLC plan at $0 plus state fees and a Pro plan at $249 plus state fees that includes 30 days of unlimited attorney consultations, then $49 per month. — LegalZoom LLC pricing page, retrieved 2026-09-27
File it yourself on bizfile Online for $70
You can skip every service: the Secretary of State's bizfile Online portal takes Articles of Organization directly for the state's $70 fee. It is the lowest total first-year cost, because it adds nothing to the state's own charges.
The same portal handles the $20 statement of information, due within 90 days and then every two years. What a service adds is the typing, an agent address, and reminders. A California resident can serve as their own agent for service of process, with the trade-off that the name and address go on the public record.
For a handmade seller who is comfortable with forms, filing directly and calendaring the dates yourself is a complete route, not a lesser one.
90 daysA California LLC must file a statement of information within 90 days after filing its articles of organization, and biennially after that. — California Corporations Code section 17702.09, retrieved 2026-09-27
A California LLC's agent for service of process may be an individual resident of California or a corporation that has complied with Corporations Code section 1505. — California Corporations Code section 17701.13, retrieved 2026-09-27
What to decide before you pay for any package
Decide on year-two cost, not the day-one price: the state fees are identical, so the difference is the agent and compliance services you would be billed for again.
Ask yourself three things. Will you be your own agent, or do you want an agent's address instead of your home's? Will you remember the statement of information and the annual tax, or pay for reminders? Do you need anything bundled, such as an EIN, that you could get free yourself?
The EIN is the easiest saving: the IRS issues it free online. Then work through the setup guide for the accounts and registrations to move into the LLC, and the California LLC tax page for the dates to calendar.
$0The IRS says you never have to pay a fee for an EIN and that approved online applications receive the EIN immediately. — Internal Revenue Service, retrieved 2026-09-27
Questions
Is a $0 formation package really free in California?
No. The package price covers the service's work only. California still charges $70 to file, $20 for the statement of information, and $800 in annual tax, so the first-year state cost is $890 whichever service you choose.
Do I need a registered agent service as a home-based seller?
Not legally, if you are a California resident willing to serve as your own agent for service of process. The trade-off is that your name and address become public record. An agent service puts its address there instead.
Can a formation service get my seller's permit for me?
The permit comes from CDTFA, not the Secretary of State, and it is free to apply for yourself. Whether a service offers help with it varies, so check its own page. The LLC does need its own permit if it makes sales that require one.